Real towing advise please

[Scubydg]

Long story short, I had a 2017 Tacoma, bought an RV (Travel trailer), "they" said oh yeah, it will pull it, just don't go over 80% of towing weight (about 7000lb). Done, but we were kinda close to the 80% weight. LOADS of sway and scarey moments...Bought a 2018 Tundra (SR5 w/ Tow weight of 10K). No more sway and everything is fine. Now I want to upgrade RV. 80% of tow weight is 7900lbs, RV is 7200lbs (by my calculations).. I feel I will be back at the SWAY and SCAREY area again...Thoughts?

[mnaquaman]

My guess it had nothing to do with your capacity! Most likely the set-up on your first vehicle was not correct. When you switched vehicles the set-up changed and your towing experience with it!

I too believe in the 80% rule. I have towed at max capacity and around the 80% mark - I'll take the 80% experience!

Some people are comfortable towing at max capacity while others are not! I personally believe that my driving experience while towing should not be much different then when I am not towing!

You are on vacation - why be stressed out because you are towing?

Happy Camping & travel Safe!

[Sportsmen]

Long story short, I replaced our 2007 F150 with a 2016 F250. The trailer towing with the f250 just did not seem to tow well at all. Too much wiggle with passing trucks etc. I lowered the hitch ball one bolt hole giving the trailer a slightly nose down attitude and what a difference it made !!! Check your tongue weight and if necesssary lower the hitch ball and see if that fixes it. it sure did for us
'
Good luck !

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Scubydg wrote:
Long story short, I had a 2017 Tacoma, bought an RV (Travel trailer), "they" said oh yeah, it will pull it, just don't go over 80% of towing weight (about 7000lb). Done, but we were kinda close to the 80% weight. LOADS of sway and scarey moments...Bought a 2018 Tundra (SR5 w/ Tow weight of 10K). No more sway and everything is fine. Now I want to upgrade RV. 80% of tow weight is 7900lbs, RV is 7200lbs (by my calculations).. I feel I will be back at the SWAY and SCAREY area again...Thoughts?

Trucks don't sway, trailers do.

Now you can cover up a swaying trailer with a big truck but that doesn't solve the problem......trailer sway.

Because of the SUV and light truck fad, trailers manufactures are building their trailers with lighter and lighter tongue weight. They are literally killing their customers to get them in the market.

"Some" trailers are designed dangerous IMHO.

My advise is to make sure the new trailer you buy has sufficient tongue weight to prevent sway.

Someone with over 40 years towing and trailers building experience.

[Grit_dog]

^ Yup, gotta remember the salesman at the stealer who's imparting all his worldly knowledge on you is 99% chance full of _____ and driving a 12 year old faded out Kia parked in back by the dumpsters out of sight and living in mom n dads basement!

[webwrangler]

Scubydg wrote:
Long story short, I had a 2017 Tacoma, bought an RV (Travel trailer), "they" said oh yeah, it will pull it, just don't go over 80% of towing weight (about 7000lb). Done, but we were kinda close to the 80% weight. LOADS of sway and scarey moments...Bought a 2018 Tundra (SR5 w/ Tow weight of 10K). No more sway and everything is fine. Now I want to upgrade RV. 80% of tow weight is 7900lbs, RV is 7200lbs (by my calculations).. I feel I will be back at the SWAY and SCAREY area again...Thoughts?

Been there, done that, (but not quite so heavy) with an 01 Tacoma then up to a 2011 5.7 l Tundra. The Tundra with an Equalizer hitch tows my 4,200 lb. trailer as if it wasn't back there. The Tacoma, not so much. They made fun of me at the dealership when I told them I wasn't sure the Tacoma could tow it. Sure, it towed it but it wasn't fun.

Edit: There are a lot of variables you haven't included, such as whether you have a WDH, your tire ratings, how much stuff you put in the Tundra, etc. But generally, I will stick with my opinion.

My opinion, I wouldn't go much over 7,000 lbs of trailer with a Tundra. The trailer you have now is about the limit.

[Grit_dog]

bikendan wrote:

Dr_Tachyon wrote:
I have a 2006 Ford F-150 and need to install a hitch. Just getting into to RVing any advice would be helpful. Looking for knowledge on costs and anything I would need to be able to tow and travel trailer (3000lbs)

1- you need to duplicate the factory tow package, since you obviously don't have it. That includes type III/IV hitch receiver, wiring for a brake controller, aux trans cooler. 7-pin connector for trailer umbilical cord. What you also have but will be more difficult, would be the Tow/Haul feature and a rear end ratio for towing.
2- is the 3000lbs number the fictional dry weight or actual scaled weight?

Agree, I'd want to know the weight for sure, but using the info given, 3000lbs, you could tow that off the bumper ball.
But a 2" hitch receiver and lighting hookup is all you need for 3klbs. Any bigger and the trailer will have brakes and it'll be wise to have trailer brakes hooked up.
Close to 3000lbs wont work the truck very hard, but the condition of the truck comes into play being an older truck. Things to consider.

[7_3_psdman]

So many people try to tow with the bare minimum. RV haulers use real trucks and real hitches the kind that eliminate sway. Don't go cheap when your life depends on it. I have towed trailers and fifth wheels and the biggest problem I had was with finding tires for the back of the truck that would handle the tongue weight of a big fifth wheel trailer. Then again if I would have paid attention to the haulers I would have owned a truck with dual rear wheels. Good hitches like a Pullright hitch aren't cheap but they work when you need them.

[blt2ski]

If one has an issue with trailer sway, it rarely ha anything to do with the tow rig rating. 99+% if the time, it is and has something to do with the trailer. IE too little hitch weight, tongue too low, so trailer us not level to name two most common issues.
I've towed a 12k trailer with a truck that had a 12500 gvwr, no sway, no white knuckles, frosted over 20k lbs, even had my four kids ages 5-12 with me! Another 2000 or so lbs in the bed.
Another time towing the same trailer, total weight 8500, with an 11800 empty MDT, 26k gvwr, 35k gvwr! Trailer was all over the effing place! Went across scale, truck weighed 11800 with trailer attached, trailer axles 8500. I had no blinked hitch weight! Moved bobcat 2' forward on trailer, no sway, no problems towing the trailer.
Another issue not talked about, tires that are too soft in sidewall. NOT just P metric mind you... I got talked into putting four Michelin XRV 14 y tires on rear of MDT. Sidewalks were soft so motor homes had a cushy ride! Hauling loads and trailers also was horribly effected.
So, as long as new trailer allows you to be under axle weight ratings, trailer is setup correctly, even if over the gcwr/tow rating, you should not have sway or handling issues. Will you go slower up grades vs a light setup, everything else the same. Of course you will. Change from a with.in rating 3000 to 6000 lb trailer, you'll notice that difference too! Just as changing out to a taller trailer with more frontal area that weighs the same. Do you all know, it takes the same amount of increased HP at 60 mph, loading your rig up an additional 1000 lbs, vs adding 3 square ft of frontal area!
Lots of reasons one may be having a bad tow experience. Being over, at, or under tow rating, means squat!
Marty

[bikendan]

Dr_Tachyon wrote:
I have a 2006 Ford F-150 and need to install a hitch. Just getting into to RVing any advice would be helpful. Looking for knowledge on costs and anything I would need to be able to tow and travel trailer (3000lbs)

1- you need to duplicate the factory tow package, since you obviously don't have it. That includes type III/IV hitch receiver, wiring for a brake controller, aux trans cooler. 7-pin connector for trailer umbilical cord. What you also have but will be more difficult, would be the Tow/Haul feature and a rear end ratio for towing.
2- is the 3000lbs number the fictional dry weight or actual scaled weight?

[Dr_Tachyon]

I have a 2006 Ford F-150 and need to install a hitch. Just getting into to RVing any advice would be helpful. Looking for knowledge on costs and anything I would need to be able to tow and travel trailer (3000lbs)

[Grit_dog]

Depends how good you are at towing and setting it up.

Some people will never be comfortable with that and hence recommend the "required" 1 ton dually. Some, like myself, tow that much or more behind a 1/2 ton regularly.

[humblerb]

fdwt994 is correct. It is nearly impossible to reach Tow Rating without exceeding Cargo Rating first.
You concentrate on a trailer that allows you to stay within your Cargo rating and have 12%-15% tongue weight and you will most likely be well below your Tow rating.
You don't want to exceed either and the Cargo rating is almost always met way before the Tow rating.

[fdwt994]

"Tow weight" is only one of several numbers you need to be concerned with. In my experience, payload capacity is just as important and will impact the ride more than anything- even with a good weight distribution hitch. Remember, it's not what you can pull, it's what you can control and stop. Too many here focus on the tow rating and stop there.
Educate yourself on all the different towing numbers rather than relying on anecdotal evidence.

[CaLBaR]

Scubydg wrote:
Long story short, I had a 2017 Tacoma, bought an RV (Travel trailer), "they" said oh yeah, it will pull it, just don't go over 80% of towing weight (about 7000lb). Done, but we were kinda close to the 80% weight. LOADS of sway and scarey moments...Bought a 2018 Tundra (SR5 w/ Tow weight of 10K). No more sway and everything is fine. Now I want to upgrade RV. 80% of tow weight is 7900lbs, RV is 7200lbs (by my calculations).. I feel I will be back at the SWAY and SCAREY area again...Thoughts?

If you are setup correctly you should not have any trouble towing that trailer with a Tundra. My trailer is 9400 lbs loaded and it tows just fine. Good WDH hitch with sway control like the Reese Straightline and you will be all set to camp.

Rob